


Heart Swap

by enemy_xands



Series: Shipping Jerks [2]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Accidental Voyeur, Action, Anal Sex, Crossing Timelines, Developing Relationship, Fingerfucking, M/M, Mild Language, Slash, Tsunderes, unprotected sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-15
Updated: 2012-04-27
Packaged: 2017-11-03 16:50:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 19,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/383712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enemy_xands/pseuds/enemy_xands
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to Power Trick, Gary and Paul attempt to figure out their relationship. Meanwhile, Paul's harboring a dangerous secret and a mission.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Drink To That

**Author's Note:**

> Well it looks like I decided to make a series because the first story was so much fun. This one will be a little longer but not by much. I recommend reading Power Trick before this one. Like Power Trick it mixes game and anime timeline but also deals with the anime timeline more directly this time. Also if you're not a fan of original characters this ain't for you because there's SOME.

Gary and his research team had been in Sinnoh for a month now, going on a month and a half. They were all enjoying their research so far. Prof Rowan’s aloof manner aside, there was Lucas, his well-dressed aide whom possessed palpable excitement. He brought them information and assignments from “the Boss” as Sam called him, and had showed them most of Sinnoh and its unique Pokemon. Instead of a Pokedex like trainers, the researchers carried a special digital catalog that allowed them to document not only regional Pokemon, but also new abilities, natures, and moves. 

The Pokemon interactions in Sinnoh were very interesting indeed. Sinnoh’s terrain was quite alien to the Kanto denizens. So many remote, isolated areas with their own particular Pokemon. The legends and folklore were fascinating as well. His right hand man (more or less) Roland was quite interested in the two varieties of Gastrodon especially.

Gary walked into the lab as Roland was studying a pair of Gastrodon. He had become quite attached to them over the past few weeks and Gary was pretty sure he was going to smuggle them home. Technically, they weren’t supposed to keep their Pokemon samples, but it couldn’t be helped if a researcher became friends with some, could it? 

“How are they doing?” Gary asked. Roland stopped in the middle of his note taking.

“Pretty good. The extra-thick mucus that was coming from Glenn, as it turns out, was because he had a cold.”

As if to prove a point, the pink Gastrodon sneezed messily. It sounded somewhere between a whoopee-cushion noise and a baby gurgle. Roland immediately began fawning over him. 

“S-so cute!” he exclaimed.

“Yeah…” Gary had to admit he wasn’t fond of Gastrodon. Something about their slime grossed him right out. There was a Chingling that followed Virgil around, though, and Gary found it pretty cute. He would occasionally steal it away in the name of “research”. Virgil was onto him however.

“We’re here to work, not play,” he would often state while practically cuddling the baby Pokemon. Gary simply rolled his eyes. Pleasure could happen within business. He did it all the time.

Speaking of which. He took an early lunch break and flew back to their temporary apartment in Jubilife City. He was quickly growing attached to this city, although he was usually fonder of the rural areas. At the apartment, he stole into his room to check his cell phone for the third time that day.  
He knew his group was pretty over him checking his phone every couple hours and pouting when he had no calls—so over it that they had forced him to leave it at home while they were working, even though he found sneaky ways to get back and look. He couldn’t help it though, he was obsessed. He was waiting for a call, a signal, anything from Paul.

The last time they had seen each other Paul begrudgingly asked Gary for his phone number so they could keep in touch. That was two weeks ago. Since then, Paul hadn’t said so much as boo. Gary knew the other lad was quite dedicated to his training for the Sinnoh League, but would it kill him to send a two letter text every now and then?

His only missed call was from Ash. Ash called him every so often now, often in mumbling shy tones ever since he found out that Gary was fucking his new arch rival. C’est la vie, Gary had told him ultimately. Ash had chilled out about it ever since but still liked to crow about having higher standards. Gary was never sure if Ash meant him or Paul, and he didn’t ask. 

Gary cleared Ash’s last voicemail and sat on the bed. He absolutely would not admit that he was pining, no matter what Maya said. He was just… well. He didn’t know. But it wasn’t pining. 

Deciding to make the most of his lunch break, Gary whipped himself up a sandwich and ate it quickly so he could get back to work. He took one more anxious glance back at his phone then sighed. He was getting really embarrassing. He called out his Pidgeot and flew back to Sandgem. 

He was an hour into some extensive research notes on his laptop when Roland conspicuously coughed behind him.

“So,” Roland said flatly.

“So,” Gary responded, staring at the text on his screen.

“How was it?”

“How was what?”

“Your lunch break.”

“Pretty good. Short.” Gary quickly covered the upcoming gap in their conversation, “If you say any variation of ‘that’s what she said’, so help me, Roland.”

“Weeell, I was going to say something about Paul but I guess you caught me. Still no calls, eh?”

Roland pulled up a stool and perched himself gargoyle-like on it. He watched as Gary’s hands steadily clicked away and moved the mouse pad occasionally.

“Still no calls,” Gary answered finally.

“Sorry. I’m sure he will soon though. He’s awfully serious about his craft, just like us right?”

“Yeah.”

“Let’s go get drinks tonight.”

Gary raised his eyebrow, suddenly interested. “Drinks?”

“Yeah. Figured you… well, you did all that work on the flight patterns of wild Staraptor, can we drink to that?” 

“We sure can. Nine o’clock, swear I’ll be done.” 

Roland got up and pushed the stool back under the table. He clicked his tongue and ruffled Gary’s hair affectionately, then left. Alone, Gary found himself drawn into the matrix that was becoming his research. Text and numbers and photographs flew past his eyes and burned into his brain. This was the part that he hated most and yet loved the most. If he didn’t watch the time carefully he really could be in here until the next day—

He glanced down at the clock in the corner of the screen, finally. It was nearly ten o’clock. Shit. He found a natural stopping place in his work and shut the laptop off, packed it away, and headed out the door. Only a few of Rowan’s aides remained, his research group apparently called it in earlier than he did. Why didn’t Roland come drag him away from the screen?

“Pidgeot! Let’s get home!”

Pidgeot flew as gracefully as ever in the chilly night air back to Jubilife. When they landed, he dashed up the stairs, intending on going to his room to retrieve his cell phone, but was stopped in the living room by Virgil. Virgil and Sam sat stone-faced on the couch, absorbing some strange looking Pokemon-themed game show.

“Roland’s in the kitchen,” Virgil said. “With liquor.”

“Oh, I thought we were going out.”

“As it turns out almost everything in this town closes at eight, and PokeMarts don’t sell whiskey.”

“Bizarre,” Gary said contemplatively. He dumped his equipment in the room he shared with Roland and headed for the kitchen.

Roland stood at the table with several colorful bottles of liquor and beer, and a couple glasses. He was mixing something with shades of black, brown, and yellow; Gary thought it looked unholy, and knew he would be asked to try it.

“Glad you could join us here at Club Roland,” the bespectacled man said. “Here, try this. I call it a Zapdos. I made an Articuno earlier and-- _whew _!”__

Gary swallowed his courage and took a tentative swig of the concoction. To his surprise, it wasn’t bad, but it was damned strong.

“Let’s do this,” he challenged. “Last one standing loses.”


	2. Wonder Room I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paul is leaving and invites a hungover Gary to say goodbye... but where's he going and why?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got away from me so I split it up. If you remember this season of the show the mystery may be a little more obvious orrrr iiiiis iiiit?
> 
> (Paul just looks like he listens to Dir en grey)

Gary knew he was going to hate himself in the morning, but he didn’t know how much. Dear God, he hated himself. He hated Roland. He hated the world. 

He tried to stretch but that brought on a wave of nausea. His head pounded. If he could kill the sunlight streaming in through the window, he would strangle it right now with no regrets. Fuck. 

How had they even gotten into bed? They must have been dragged in. Judging by their haphazard positions half on the bed and half on the floor, yeah they had been dragged in. Or shoved and coerced. It didn’t matter. Now his head was ringing in short beeps.

Gary gasped and looked over at his phone. It was ringing! What now? He fumbled for it and answered. 

“Hello,” he muttered and immediately cursed. Jesus, he sounded absolutely awful to his own ears. 

“Oak.”

Oh, finally. “Paul.”

“What’s happened to you? You sound sick.”

“I’m just… I’m a little hungover.”

A pause, then a decidedly judgmental snort. “You shouldn’t be drinking. You’re a renowned researcher and a trainer. That’s most unbecoming.”

“I _know_. It’s not up for debate right now. Where have you been, anyway?”

“I told you, I was training for the Sinnoh League. I’m calling now because… I’m leaving soon.”

“Leaving?” Gary sat up too fast and the room started rotating, but he kept it together. “Where are you going?”

“Snowpoint City.”

“Snowpoint… oh. That’s the isolated mountain area, right? Why?”

“I can’t find a challenge around here. Just cowards and weak Pokemon.”

Gary sighed. He wasn’t expecting Paul to change his whole life in a few weeks but he could at least tone it down a bit. Asshole. “Wait, why are you telling me all this?”

Another long pause. “I… I wanted to say goodbye. I’ll be gone for a while.” 

Gary’s headache got a lot worse. His stomach ached with a terrible combination of anxiety and dehydration. “Are you really sure you want to leave?”

“Yes I’m sure,” Paul snapped. “If you want to say goodbye to me come to Veilstone.”

Paul passed his address to Gary and curtly hung up. Next to him, Roland hiccupped and sang a few bars of an old Japanese drinking song before resuming his regularly scheduled snoring. Gary feebly headed for the bathroom and showered in complete darkness. By the time he was dressed he felt a little better and less prone to throw up, but still woozy on his feet. He picked up his cell phone and checked the clock. Nine o’clock. He could do this, damnit.

He left a note on the fridge informing his group mates of his whereabouts in case he fell off his Pidgeot or got lost. Outside, he called out the majestic Pokemon and laid himself over its back.

“We’re heading to Veilstone. And Pidgeot?”

“Pidgeot?”

“Fly slow… please…” 

After a gentle and slow ride, Pidgeot landed in Veilstone Ciy in front of the Pokecenter. Gary briefly wondered if centers worked on humans as well, or if he could inject an Antidote right into his eyes to make the burning stop. Perhaps he was still drunk. Fortunately, he decided not to embarrass himself and took a detour into the department store.

It was a little known fact—mostly to younger trainers—that most PokeMarts sold Pokemon items as well as human items. The human items just required self-checkout was all. Some stores even put them out only at certain times. After all, why focus on adults when each day hundreds of kids with tons of disposable income were dashing in to aid their Pokemon journey? 

Gary only started getting cynical about it as he got older and started learning these things. It was a shock like any innocence-shattering event, but he’d grown used to it. Now to figure out how Veilstone worked. Would he have to come in at 7:55 for some vitamins, or would the clerk sneak him something under the counter?

He walked up to one of the clerks. “Morning,” he said. Thank goodness, he was starting to sound a little better.

“Good morning! How may I help you?”

“Well, I’m not a trainer for starters?” Gary said with a light chuckle. The clerk nodded in understanding.

“What are you looking for?”

“Multivitamins. And some juice.” 

The clerk ducked under the desk for a few minutes. His counterpart seemed entirely unperturbed by the business. Gary found it quite creepy. He felt like he should engage the rather bored looking man. But before he could say anything, the other clerk popped up again like a Sentret with a yellow box.

“Devon Corp multivitamins, a daily supply of iron, B12, calcium, et cetera et cetera.” He grabbed Gary’s hand and pushed the box into his palm. “For your _condition_ , I’d suggest the infused Berry Juice in the drinks aisle. Very hydrating, and tasty too.”

Gary glared. “Thanks.”

In the juice aisle, he picked up a couple bottles of generic Berry Juice and by the time he arrived at the counter, the clerk had already rang up his purchases.

“That’ll be 1600, sir.”

A herd of bright-eyed kids with wild hats and huge backpacks had been waiting outside the doors of the Mart and now they rushed in. They began to ooh and awe at the products. Gary grunted and dug some money out of his wallet. The clerk bagged his items quickly and curiously discrete. 

“Good luck with the—” The gaggle of children with potions and repels crowded the clerk before he could finish, so he raised his hand and made a drinking motion. Gary glared harder. 

Gary stood in front of the department for a few minutes, puzzled. Veilstone, like any city, didn’t really have street names, so finding houses in foreign places was a bit of a crapshoot. Especially in a city this large, and on foot. He could hardly roam through the streets on Arcanine and he had no idea how the buses worked here, so he just stared walking. Reading house numbers was a little easier; these people seemed to be oddly proud of their mailboxes and displayed them prominently. Fortunately, Paul mentioned he lived at the far end of town and his house had a large yard.

Gary started to reach the more isolated parts of town where everywhere had a “big yard”. So that wasn’t extremely helpful.

“1267,” Gary muttered to himself. His feet and back ached. He came upon 1265…66…67. 

Gary looked up from the mailbox and saw what could be objectively described as a _huge_ yard. And it was filled with Pokemon he had never seen Paul with. This couldn’t be right, could it? A long dirt path led to a rather rustic blue and white house. The gate was already unlatched, so when Gary entered he made sure to lock it. He walked up the path to the front door of the house and rang the doorbell.

He partly expected to get someone yelling at him to get his wasted ass off the porch, but anticlimactically Paul answered quickly. He was still clad in darkness, but now he was wearing shorts and a T-shirt with some undecipherable logo. Gary found himself staring at it.

“Dirt… Dire…Dir…?”

“So you made it.”

Gary snapped his head up. “Oh, uh, yeah. Sorry it took me so long.”

“I thought you might have collapsed in the street.

“Aw, you worried about me.”

Paul didn’t say anything in a human language and moved to let Gary inside. The house had a very clean feeling about it. It smelled like lemongrass and everything had a faint glint to it. Paul led him to the living room and silently ordered him to have a seat. Paul then disappeared, saying something about tea and a kettle, leaving Gary alone to observe his surroundings.

Gary could tell two guys lived here. It just had that ambiance, and he would know. To class the joint up, there was even a fireplace. On top of the fireplace were three sets of framed badges, and two sets he didn’t recognize. Gary whistled lowly and went to check them out. All the badges of Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn! The fourth looked like Sinnoh badges from what he had studied of them. The fifth, however, only had six unfamiliar medals with a slot for a seventh. 

“Gary!”

Gary startled and nearly dropped the frame. “You don’t have to yell, eesh.”

“Put those down, they’re fragile.”

Paul had come out with a traditional tea set on a tray. He set it on the living room table gingerly. The whole scene looked so domestic Gary wasn’t sure if he should laugh or feel incredibly touched. Maybe both. Gary set his groceries under the table, and he and Paul sipped their tea in silence. It took a few minutes, but Gary did a double take at the framed badges on the fireplace mantle.

“Wait a minute, I don’t remember giving you an Earth Badge.”

“Isn’t it obvious? Those aren’t mine. They’re my brother’s.”

“Holy shi—I mean, wow, he must be an amazing trainer.” Gary took another swig of his tea to give himself a moment. “What’s his name again?”

“Reggie.”

“Don’t remember him, must have been before I took over the gym.” Gary ignored Paul’s shocked look because the answer to his unspoken question was a long story he’d rather not go into. Instead, he rubbed the back of his neck. “But…but you called him weak, didn’t you?”

“Yes. He is weak. See those Frontier symbols? He lost to the Pyramid King years ago. After that, he gave up being a trainer to breed Pokemon.”

“So that’s why you have all those Pokemon in the front yard!”

Paul smirked and the eerie similarities weren’t lost on Gary. “Don’t start salivating to go study them, it’s mostly Bidoofs and Kricketots. Common.”

“Come on, I’m here to see you anyway.” Gary set his cup down and sidled next to Paul. He threw his arm around the other boy’s shoulders and drew him into a hug. Paul grunted and didn’t resist, but didn’t reciprocate either. 

“I have no idea why you’re going to some godforsaken snow cap,” Gary said into Paul’s hair, “but I’ll miss you, ‘kay? Just come back before I leave.”

“You’ll … miss me?” 

“Of course I will.” 

Paul looped his arms around Gary’s and finally hugged him back. With their faces pressed so close together, it wasn’t a stretch for them to kiss. To Gary’s surprise, Paul initiated it this time, and pressed his warm lips to Gary’s and slipped his tongue in soon after. They sat on the couch entangled for a while, with the kisses becoming more aggressive and physical until both their shirts were off and Paul was sinking backwards onto the couch. He gripped at Gary’s back, leaving pinkish and white marks in his wake, pushing up until their chests were almost painfully pressed together. 

Gary finally pulled away, gasping. “Should we take this to your room?”

Paul nodded silently. He gripped Gary’s hand too hard like he would run away at the last minute and led them down the hall to his bedroom. 

As Gary suspected, Paul’s room was fairly Spartan, with some charts and a Pokedex scattered on the desk. An image of Paul cackling like a cartoon villain as he plotted for world domination popped into his head; Gary only barely suppressed a giggle, but if Paul noticed he didn’t comment on it. When Paul stripped off his shorts and laid on the bed, Gary was thankful his headache was going away enough to be ignored. He also secretly thanked a little deity on his shoulder that Paul apparently didn’t believe in underwear. Made his life ten times easier.

Gary shirked off the remainder of his clothes and draped himself over Paul. They didn’t miss a beat and continued their make out session from the couch, this time with roving hands and prodding fingers. It didn’t take long before Paul was twisting and writhing and moaning sweetly under Gary’s hands. Gary flipped Paul over on his stomach and tugged his hips upwards, then teased his cock from behind.

“Where do you keep your condoms?” he asked, voice heavy with lust. Paul froze under him. That wasn’t a good sign. “Please tell me you have some.”

“… I do not.”

“Lube?”

“I don’t think so.”

With his dry hand Gary slapped his forehead gently. If he’d had some foresight he would have just brought his own, but if someone calls you over to say “goodbye” you’re allowed to make a few assumptions, he thought. 

Paul flipped over, face flushed partly from Gary’s ministrations and now embarrassment. “Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t think of it.”

“It’s okay, it’s not your fault. We can do something else.”

“Something else?” Paul looked at his bedroom door. “Should I check my brother’s room?”

“Great idea!” Before he got too excited, Gary found himself mortified. “Wait, will he mind? …Does he even know I exist?” 

“No.” Paul was already up and putting his shorts back on. “Not yet, anyway. But I’m sure he wouldn’t mind. I’ll go look in his room.”


	3. Wonder Room II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paul and Gary experience their first coitus interruptus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look, I know it, and you know it, but let's just pretend anal sex is clean every time okay.

Reggie’s room was a little further up the hall. Paul padded in as if he were sneaking although the house was completely empty. As if the walls and floors would absorb his secrets and tattle. He really was getting around to telling Reggie about Gary, but he hardly saw his brother and whenever they were together it didn’t take long for Paul to feel an overwhelming disgust for the older man. He hated to admit that he needed him now in any fashion.

Once, not too long ago, Paul watched his brother chuck a foil packet into his drawer. Reggie had given him some version of the Starlys and the Combees talk when he was younger and Paul had tried to block most of it out. He absolutely wanted none of that. But it was okay if Gary showed him. It was _more_ than okay. 

“Ugh, how did it get like this,” Paul muttered to himself and opened the bedside drawer. To his dismay, no condoms. Reggie had either used them all—which wouldn’t be surprising—or he had gotten rid of them. Paul felt more comfortable with the latter option but had a feeling it was the former. However, there was a small packet of lubricant left in the top corner. Unopened, unexpired. Would one work without the other? He would ask. 

“Hey,” he said, back in his room. Gary was perched on the bed, looking out the window. “I found some lube. Will this work?”

“Condoms?”

“No.”

Gary sighed heavily and Paul’s heart skipped. “Well… just this one time. I know I’m clean and I’m ninety-nine percent sure you are… right?”

Paul nodded and his heart started racing again. Gary took the packet and ordered Paul down on the bed again.

Gary carefully opened the lube pack and spread a little on his fingers. Obediently, Paul rolled over on his stomach again and Gary slid two fingers in one at a time. As he worked his fingers in and out he kissed a trail down Paul’s back and smirked at the boy’s clenched fists and wanton moans. 

“Ready?” Gary asked.

“Why do you even bother asking.”

“Tch, I’m trying to be nice. Wouldn’t want to wreck that ass too bad.”

Paul let out an outraged yell and Gary thought he might die laughing. He didn’t care how much his head still hurt or the fact that he was seeing triple, that was funny as hell. Before Paul could protest any further, though, Gary arched his fingers and brushed against his prostate, turning any further complaints into a melting moan into the pillow. 

With the remaining lube in the packet and a little spit and pre-cum, Gary prepped his cock and grabbed Paul’s hips and slid into him slowly. Paul wriggled underneath and gripped the sheets even tighter, and Gary was pretty sure he cursed. Kid had a mouth on him. He’d have to gag it one day. The thought alone shot blood painfully right to his dick. He made a mental note that arousal didn’t go well with hangover headaches. 

But he pushed that aside as best he could for the moment and repositioned his hands over Paul’s shoulders for balance, and thrust. For a minute, Paul was silent except for the occasional grunt, but then his breath quickened and his panting got noisier. He latched onto the headboard and moaned louder, chanted Gary’s name, anything to keep him moving and faster.

Gary thought something seemed… incongruous in the beats of the headboard against the wall, but his brain was too hot with lust to care. With a yell, his toes curled and his legs tightened and he came. He kept moving until Paul clenched around him and abruptly arched his back, pulling his hips off the bed for a moment and Gary could see him shoot his load on his bedsheets. He was going to hate cleaning that up. 

Gary rolled off to the side and tried to get his vision together. Without invitation Paul moved closer and rested his arm on Gary’s chest. Gary pulled him closer and nuzzled his hair. He was beginning to love the smell of it. It was the lemongrass of his home, and pine, and a faint hint of soap. He was just drifting off to sleep when someone knocked on the bedroom door.

Paul and Gary froze.

“Paul… when were you expecting your brother back?” 

“I…” Paul glanced at the clock on his night stand. Nearly noon. “He didn’t say when he’d be back! I lost track of time!”

“Hey,” a surprisingly gentle voice called from behind the door. “Hey! You guys okay in there? You need some condoms or anything?”

 _Where were you an hour ago?_ Gary thought. “Answer him!” he hissed to Paul.

“Um, n-no, everything’s okay right now,” Paul stuttered. 

“Okay! Well, I’m making lunch so just come out whenever you’re ready!”

Footsteps receding down the hall. Their reverie broken, Paul sat up and looked at Gary.

“Um… hungry?”


	4. Keep On Winning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gary meets Reggie, finally. Paul is less than pleased.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hit a slight continuity snarl but I think I got it... and if I didn't it'll fix itself soon. Also it's not canon because of the way time works in the anime (as in, it doesn't) but I'd consider Gary and Ash to be about 19-20 and Paul would be about 17-18 at this point.

In the living room, Reggie wasted no time setting up dinner. Gary could see where Paul got his domestic streak from. Finger sandwiches and milk, and Reggie had been kind enough to put his berry juice and vitamins away. He didn’t even ask why Gary still couldn’t focus and had to sit facing away from any bright lights. 

“So, Gary, how long have you two been uh… doin’ stuff?”

“A few months now.”

“Really?! Paul hasn’t mentioned you at all!” Reggie leaned over to Paul rather conspicuously and repeated, “At. All.” Paul merely blushed in response.

“Well, it’s not his fault. It was pretty sudden. Say, Reggie, when did you earn your Earth Badge?” 

“Oh that thing?” Reggie glanced back at the framed badges. “Let’s see… a few years back. Viridian Gym. I remember because the guy that owned it, turned out he was a mob boss in Kanto. Team… Rocket? Yeah. Why do you ask?”

“He’s the current Gym Leader of Viridian,” Paul snapped impatiently. “You’re looking at Gary _Oak_ , former League champion, current Gym Leader and Pokemon Researcher.”

Gary didn’t blush often but he felt one creeping across his face at having his resume read out loud like that. Even worse, Reggie looked both shocked and impressed. 

“ _Really_!” Reggie shook his head with wonder. “I didn’t realize Viridian had a new gym—it’s been a while, you see. I’m old.” He laughed a little. “But you’re so young! You’re not much older than Paul, right?”

“I started at ten like everyone else,” Gary said, drinking his milk with a little shame. “I was just really good and fortunate. I had to do a lot of dumb shit before I got that far, though.”

“Quit putting down your own accomplishments,” Paul said with some annoyance. 

“Paul, some people like to show hu-mi-li-ty,” Reggie said. “Too bad it hasn’t rubbed off.”

Gary sat back and watched the daggers fly from Paul’s eyes into Reggie’s heart. He took a sip of milk.

“But Gary,” Reggie continued, “if you’re here who’s taking care of the gym…? Oh, how did you two meet, anyway? Tell me everything!” 

And so Gary spent the next hour recounting his exciting whirlwind affair with increasingly testy interjections from Paul. It occurred to Gary that this was no mere sibling tension he was looking at; Paul seemed to genuinely _hate_ his brother. They couldn’t be more different. Reggie reminded Gary of an older Ash, after he’s grown and shed the cocoon of child-like naiveté for good. He was steadily getting there. In fact, the more Paul countered and cut off Reggie, the more Gary liked him.

Gary stood and stretched, and reached out to shake Reggie’s hand.

“Good to meet you, finally,” he said, then glanced over at Paul. “Can we talk outside…?” 

Paul harrumphed and went to wait outside on the porch. Reggie retrieved Gary’s things and handed them back.

“Did I, like, cause something?” Gary asked tentatively. Reggie grinned and shook his head slowly.

“No. He’s just… he’s just like that.”

“I’ve noticed.”

“Oh, you have? He must really like you.” Reggie laughed at Gary’s bemused reaction. “Trust me. Good luck with that hangover, by the way, you look pretty hurt.”

Reggie gently patted Gary’s back and sent him on his way. On the porch, Paul stood in the shade of the house, leaning over the railing. Gary observed him for a moment. He had gathered everything he needed to know about Paul the trainer, but to his dismay almost nothing about Paul the person except how he liked to be touched.

“Hey,” he said finally.

“Hey.” 

“So I guess this is goodbye until… well, until whenever you come back.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry, are you mad at me?” Paul turned to face him.

“I’m mad at the both of you.”

“And why is that?”

Paul paced back to the door and leaned against it. “You… you both. Such raw power and skill. But you won’t _use_ it. Why don’t you _see_? I wish I could make you both understand. Why do you put down your own accomplishments so? You know how excellent you are.”

Gary pressed his empty hand to his face. “Paul, please understand. I’m fucking brilliant, I know it.” The admission brought a small smile to Paul’s face. “But I get really uncomfortable when people drown me in platitudes because… well.”

Paul’s smile was short lived and it dropped into his usual frown. “Because what, Oak?”

“It’s something I’ll have to tell you later.” 

“Don’t you dare tell me it’s something I’ll ‘understand when I’m older’.”

Gary barked a sudden harsh laugh and Paul was taken aback. “No, nothing like that. I just don’t have much time and I don’t like talking about it.” 

Silence and a breeze passed between them. Sensing the conversation was closed, Gary unhitched a Pokeball from his belt.

“Pidgeot, come out!”

The bird Pokemon stretched its wings in the yard, and Gary headed towards it.

“I listened to you, by the way,” Paul said, so low it was nearly swallowed up by the wind. Gary turned around. “I… I hung off your every word, back then.”

Gary had something forming on his lips, but Paul had already vanished into the house like a ghost. So he turned around and climbed on the back of his Pidgeot, and headed back to Sandgem.


	5. Trick I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gary angsts over his and Paul's relationship, but gets over it when he learns Paul may be in danger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter got a bit away from me again. Are you ready for an angst break? Songs referenced were "AIR", Anthrax and "Down and Out", Kid Cudi. I swear they're plot relevant.

When Pidgeot swooped in front of the research lab in Sandgem, Gary performed a stylish dismount and recall combo that he didn’t think he would survive. He almost didn’t survive. And he was glad no one saw that feat. His head was screaming at him and he was sure that if his brain could talk, it would be calling him an idiot.

He popped into the lab and immediately saluted. “Gary Oak reporting for duty. At last.”

Only Lucas was there to greet him. And he was decidedly uncheery. “Gary. There you are.”

Gary deflated a little. “How late am I and who is mad at me?”

“Quite, and everyone.” Lucas sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Gary, you’re here on research for a short amount of time. You can’t go flying off to see your… ehm, SO whenever the whim strikes you!”

Irritated, Gary snipped back, “Well you don’t have to worry about that now because he’s gone, okay?” 

Lucas’s face softened a little with sympathy. “Gone? Like, he dumped you?”

“He’s gone off to the mountains to train,” Gary said dismissively. “Tch.” 

“Oh. Well, I’m sorry to hear that. B-but what I said stands.” Lucas puffed himself up as if he had been waiting his whole moment to say that, but deflated a little anyway. “Although, I did lie, not everyone’s mad at you.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Not _everyone_ , I said. Rowan wants to speak with you before you leave.”

Oh fantastic. More questions from old men he didn’t want to answer. Gary shrugged and took another look around. The place really was stark empty. Not even any aides running around. It was just him, Lucas, and the white noise hum of the computers and various research machines.

“So where is everyone?”

“Field trip,” Lucas said with a grin. “Route 215. You can join them if you hurry.”

“No, I’ll just… just stay here. I’m sure my group’s pretty over me right now, anyway.”

Lucas wanted to say something comforting but it turned into a useless noise in his throat. Instead, he settled for watching Gary walk away, eyes oddly downcast. 

Alone, Gary pulled up a seat in front of a computer and accessed a database. From there he let the information scroll by, but he wasn’t in the least bit interested. What was he feeling right now? He was irritated at the memories Paul had dredged up, although that wasn’t his fault. He was pissed that Paul was leaving on some reckless quest To Be the Best. He was even a little pissed that while he talked about Paul all the time to whoever was in earshot, whereas Paul had apparently kept him a secret. There wasn’t any indication that Reggie would have kicked him out or been in the least bit bothered, therefore it must have been all Paul. Or maybe he didn’t consider Gary as… anything in particular?

Gary crashed his fingers into his hair and sighed. Paul was hard to get a read on, he knew that. But there was a big empty blank that Gary was struggling to fill. They hardly knew each other and to be honest, maybe they’d never get to know each other. It was impossible for him to stay in Sinnoh permanently, would Paul be willing to give up his home for Kanto? Maybe this relationship needed to be over. It was infecting his brain, spilling out and infecting his work.

He put those thoughts away for later. For the time being, he sighed and caught up on a little research before calling it a day. He was so giddy for his group to confront him about his erratic behavior that he immediately sealed himself up in the room that he shared with Gary. He closed the curtains and took out his mp3 player, then dug through a box of electronics for the speakers and the cord that attached to it, and set them up on the nightstand. He shuffled a few times before he let it go, and laid on the floor and stared at the ceiling; he hasn’t done this since he was a teenager.

_Welcome to your nightmare, you just can’t walk away… it’s time for you choose your fate_

 

_…they say they don’t want me when I’m fucked up and forgotten_

The music filtered through Gary’s ears and he hadn’t realized he’d fallen asleep. The thumps of the beat didn’t quite match up though, and he realized someone was pounding at the door.

“Oak! Oak, open it up!”

For a minute Gary’s heart stopped, but he was pretty sure that was Virgil. Of course. Virgil was going to find him dead one of these days. He sat up and his back ached but at least his headache was gone now. The curtains weren’t heavy enough to block the moonlight and Gary surmised that it had to be about eight o’clock. He was out for five hours.

“Coming.”

He felt around on the wall for the switch and flipped it. The lights didn’t hurt nearly as bad now; he was cured. Hair of the dog? No, angst, angst was the cure. The music was still blaring from his mp3 player. He unlocked the door and opened it to reveal his entire research group pressed against the doorjamb in a messy pile. They jumped back and straightened themselves and Gary merely blinked.

“Um…?”

“We were worried about you,” Maya said simply. “We tried to wake you up a few hours ago, but when you didn’t get up this time…”

“Well, you know,” Sam said, even though Gary had no idea.

“Sorry to make you worry,” Gary said. He rubbed the back of his neck to give himself a moment to think. “Um, listen about earlier… well, in addition to being drunk I just ran off and didn’t come back? I won’t do that again.” 

To Gary’s surprise the group almost collectively shrugged.

“As long as you didn’t run off and get eloped or anything,” Yuki said with a sly grin. “I mean, that was irresponsible and we were pissed at you in the fields for a while, but—”

“You’re in L-U-V,” Roland said in an affected sappy tone. To illustrate the point he drew a heart in the air. Gary wanted to punch him in the throat. “We’ll let some things slide… you know.” 

Gary thought he might punch him. Instead he chose to thank his team for worrying about him and declared he was taking a shower. 

The apartment, spacious as it was, only had one bathroom. They had tried to draw up a schedule in the beginning of the month—girls in the morning, guys in the afternoon and alternate evenings—but that fell apart as with any attempt to regulate the human body. So it was a crap shoot now. Gary was fortunate enough to get in the shower alone this time.

Under the lukewarm spray, he leaned his head against the tile and sighed. No more stupid thoughts. He couldn’t believe he was really considering breaking up with Paul. Damn alcohol had him talking crazy. Paul may discard him eventually like a weak Pokemon but he wasn’t that easy to get rid of, nor was he that quick to give up. He’d tell him to ask Ash, but he didn’t think the two were quite on speaking terms yet. Ash had a way of making people come around to his side but “freaking Paul” was a long ways off.

Gary stepped out the shower and fumbled for his towel. It was handed to him and he did a double-take.

“M-Maya, I didn’t know you were in here.”

“Just brushing my teeth,” Maya said casually. Girl with no fear that she was. An ex-Battle Girl from Hoenn and, by god, she’d earned that. He had wanted her for his gym at one point, but she retired to do research. From her trainer days she only kept three constants—a Gallade, a Fearow, and a Hitmonlee that liked preening in mirrors and trying to kick Gary in his chest. Always his chest, no idea why. 

“So,” Maya said, her words muffled by her toothbrush, “care to tell us why you were sitting in a dark room listening to loud music for five hours?”

“Not really,” Gary said as he toweled off. Unfortunately Maya directly blocked his path to the door. Probably on purpose, damn her. He wondered who sent her in.

“Something with Paul?”

“Yes.”

“What’d he do now?”

“Maybe it was me this time.”

“Okay, what’d _you_ do now? You two have so much drama for only being together a month or something.”

“Isn’t that all relationships?” 

Exposed and trapped, Gary wrapped his towel around his waist and sat on the toilet seat. Maya sure was taking her time brushing her teeth. Now she was flossing. Gary rested his head in his hands.

“Well, sure, but I wanna know about this one.”

“Okay. He’s going up to Snowpoint to train in the mountains because he’s like that.”

Maya paused in her flossing. “Snowpoint? That godforsaken place? He’s awfully serious, isn’t he?”

Gary simply chuckled in response and Maya kept flossing. 

“Were you ever that serious?” she asked after a while.

“No, actually. I trained a lot but it wasn’t until I entered my first League challenge that I started really training up.”

“I was never that serious either. I’d go to Mt. Chimney or Sootopolis but… say, Gary, how’d you get your gym anyway?”

Gary smirked a little. He could tell this story at least… most of it. “After I lost my ass at the Indigo League, I went back to my hometown to do some soul searching…” He shook his head. “I was only about twelve, mind you. I took a year off and decided to pursue research… but then I learned Viridian Gym was still abandoned. You know, you just can’t beat that training instinct out of ya.”

Maya rolled her eyes and threw away her floss.

“Granddad wanted me to stick with my research but I thought, why not. I didn’t think… well, there were three others. We fought it out and somehow I came out on top. I made the three my staff and hired a couple others and, well, that was it.”

“I never thought it was so easy,” Maya said.

“A lot of things come easily if you just ask for them I guess. For example, will you kindly get the fuck out of the way so I can go to bed?”

Maya frowned and moved away from the door. “Asshole.”


	6. Trick II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gary makes a friend and decides to see what Paul is up to

Good as his word, Gary upped the ante on the group’s research efforts and threw himself into his projects. Paul could take care of himself. It was even okay if he didn’t call—he was just like that, he understood that now. Everyone had their idiosyncrasies, and Paul was nothing if not brutally honest so if things were over he would have said so by now. Not that Gary was worried or anything. He was more worried about his increasing caffeine dependency and the unattractive bags forming under his eyes.

He stood in the lab observing a Croagunk. He watched the sacs on its face inflate and deflate for a while and decided no, he did not like this thing. A couple cities had it as a mascot and he didn’t get it. Maya thought it was cute because of course she would, but Gary was pretty sure it was going to Poison Jab him to death in his sleep. Poison Jab, however, was a bad ass move that he wanted to teach to his Heracross as soon as possible. The next trainers to enter his gym weren’t ready for him.

Sam tapped on the glass and held up Gary’s phone. They had allowed him to bring it to the lab with him now, not that he answered it even when it did ring. The Croagunk made a noise and hopped off the table. Gary watched it carefully. Its face…

“You want to answer this?” Sam said, slipping into his drawl again. 

“Yeah, pass it over here. Who is it?”

“Like I asked.”

Gary put the phone up to his ear and cradled it with his shoulder. “Hello?”

“My man Gary!” Reggie coughed. “Sorry, I’ve always wanted to do that. You’re not my man, your Paul’s!”

Gary wanted to punch him over the phone. “How’s it going, Reggie?”

“Going great, and yourself?”

“I’m trapped in here with a Croagunk.”

“Oh, cute aren’t they? Watch out for their Mud Bombs and Poison Jabs though.”

“Yeah. So, you hear from Paul lately? Does he actually talk to you?”

Reggie laughed uncomfortably on the line. “Uh, it’s funny you say that. No, he doesn’t, but I was hoping you’d spoken to him.”

“Huh. It’s been three weeks, hasn’t it?”

“Just about. So… this is the part where I admit I’m a little worried. You see, when he left I think he was still sore at one of us—or both of us, I dunno—and he just sort of… tore off. You know how he ‘trains’.” Reggie sighed sadly. “I know he can take care of himself but I’m afraid he’d going to get himself hurt out there. He’s all alone and…” 

Gary set his clipboard down and noticed the Croagunk was suddenly closer to his legs and staring up at him. “Don’t you fucking judge me,” he muttered.

“Sorry?”

“Oh, not you, the Croagunk. Um. Anyway, I think… I think I get the message.”

“I know you’re real busy but—”

“Yeah, I’ll go grab him.” 

“Thanks, Gary, I knew I could count on you.” 

Gary set the phone down on the table and braced his hands on the edge. The Croagunk was now tugging at his lab coat. This thing thinks it knows him. The Croagunk stopped and with a loud thump it jumped back on the table.

“Croag,” it gurgled.

“What is it?”

“Croag.”

“Leave me alone, I’m trying to think.

“Croag?”

Gary gazed into the face of the Croagunk. What the hell did it want from him? He started thinking. How exactly would he go about finding Paul in the snow? Apparently it hailed all the time outside the city. He needed a plan. He needed someone that knew the area…someone more reckless than he was.

He picked up the phone and dialed.

“Gary?” Ash said, and Gary could hear chatter in the background.

“Ash, what’s up?”

“Not a lot. I wasn’t expecting you to call. How are you? And… you know.”

“I’m fine. Say, Ash, what do you know about Snowpoint, besides its cold and terrible?”

“Oh! Snowpoint, there’s a gym there obviously, there’s Lake Acuity where a legendary Pokemon is supposed to be, and… actually there’s supposed to be something about the temple, too. Sinnoh has an awful lot of myths roaming around, doesn’t it?”

“Sure does. Does Paul know about these myths?”

“I would assume so, since he’s lived here all his life…” Ash’s voice turned suspicious. “Why? What’s he done now?”

“Nothing. I hope. Ash, I have a gift for you, will you come by the lab if you’re not busy?”

“I’m not doing anything right now, I’ll fly over. Gary, I don’t like this.”

Before Ash had a chance to question him further, Gary hung up. The Croagunk inflated its cheek sacs. 

“Croag.”

“Yeah, yeah.” 

 

Ash touched down in Sandgem late afternoon with Pikachu perched on his shoulder. Gary greeted him outside with the “present”. Even from a distance, Gary could tell Ash was viewing him rather skeptically.

“Don’t like him?” Gary asked.

“It’s not that, it’s just… well, it’s a Croagunk.”

“Pika,” Pikachu agreed.

“Grows into a Toxicroak,” Gary said.

“Yeah, but… uh, why.”

“Just hang on to him for a while, will you?” Gary sighed and took Ash around to the side of the building. “Okay, I’ll be honest. I need to tell you… I’m going to Snowpoint for a bit. Reggie said he’s worried about Paul, that’s why I was asking.” 

Ash nodded. “What do you think he’s up to? …You don’t think he’s hunting legendaries, do you?”

“Would you put it past him? I mean, we both know he’s not stupid, but he’s reckless as hell. Just hang on to that Croagunk for a bit, and if I don’t try to contact you in two days, come find me.”

Ash grabbed the Croagunk’s stubby limbs. “Okay, Gary. I’m doing this for you, but if I have to come get you, I’m taking it out on Paul.”

Gary laughed so hard he thought his lungs might internally collapse, but he knew it was a serious threat. “Thanks.”

When the research team wrapped up for the day and flew back to Jubilife, Gary waited until at least most of the apartment was asleep before he snuck out to the Pokecenter. Thank heaven they stayed open all hours of the night. He accessed the computer tucked away in the corner—first time in a while. Gym Leaders didn’t change their Pokemon sets too much, and he certainly didn’t. But right now…

“Depositing Rhyperior,” the machine’s neutral gendered voice spoke. “Withdrawing Gyarados.”

His team would forgive him, he was sure of it.


	7. Snowpoint

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gary hunts for Paul and learns things are much worse than he thought

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You ever just wonder about Snowpoint City sometimes?

The research team had been to Snowpoint City only once with the promise that they would go there again soon. The town itself was pretty if quite cold from the constant snowfall and howling winds and rounds of hail just outside it. It was quite except for a wailing whistle that blared like a siren. The townspeople didn’t complain much about it while he was there. He met the Gym Leader, Candice, and she seemed downright sunny, going so far as to wear khakis.

“S’not so bad,” she had said simply. Not so bad. 

But on the trek this time Gary knew he couldn’t fly. Their rented Dodrio and Staravias had barely withstood the hail downfall, and Pidgeot was tough but was unfamiliar with the landscape. He decided to travel to on foot first to Mt. Coronet and from then on he would need Arcanine. 

Arcanine’s thick fur could take a lot and at least he had an advantage against the many Ice-types that populated the snow and frozen grass. The problem was finding Paul. How far had he gotten? Would he still be in the cave even after three weeks? Gary had heard that Coronet was a damned difficult place to get through and that didn’t even take into account what was waiting outside for him.

Arcanine rumbled as they entered the cave. At least it wasn’t pitch dark.

“I know, boy, I know,” Gary said and smoothed the Pokemon’s mane. “Don’t worry.”

The cave was determined not to make their journey easy. 

Rocks and large boulders turned them around and blocked them at what seemed like every path. Huge lakes unaccounted for in the sketchy maps of the area. In Eterna City he had been loaded five maps but couldn’t put them together to form a complete picture. The focal point seemed to be an underground waterfall, but there were several exits and no indication of which one he should take. Gary and Arcanine sighed. Well, he supposed they could try them all. It wouldn’t waste more time than they already had.

“Let’s go that way.”

Arcanine shook his head.

“What’s up?”

Arcanine looked up at the ceiling. Gary followed his eyes upwards and gasped to find a colony of sleeping Zubat and Golbat.

“Shit,” he breathed. “Move very slowly.”

As big as Arcanine was, he still managed to stealthily avoid the Zubat and Golbat to make it to a path that one of the maps simply labeled as “2F.” Gary could feel cold wind coming from the west. An exit? No matter what, they were surrounded by snow. He nudged Arcanine in the direction of the entrance and finally out the mouth of the cave they were greeted with sheets of white.

Arcanine shuddered so hard that Gary thought he might fall off. The blizzard whipped around them and obscured their vision; even with his borrowed snow goggles Gary was having a hard time leading Arcanine in a direction.

“Hey, trainer!”

Gary looked around. “Who’s there?”

“Over here!”

Gary moved Arcanine towards the sound of the person’s voice. Gary really loved human adaptability sometimes. Live in a snow zone? Not a problem, get a coat and slap on some skis, keep it moving. He could tell the skier was grinning at him, probably sizing him up as an inexperienced and lost tourist.

“What’s happenin’?” the woman yelled over the howl of the wind. “Looking for a place to stay?”

“I’m looking for someone,” Gary said. “Have you been here long?” 

“I’ve been coming here a few days. What does the person look like?”

“About my height, purple hair, Pokemon trainer.”

The woman shook her head. “Sounds familiar but there’s a dozen or so trainers out here, believe it or not. Hey, the lady that owns the lodge a little down the way might know. Take this bridge.”

The woman pointed at a rickety bridge and just beyond it, Gary could see the faint outline of a shack. He nodded his thanks and took Arcanine across the bridge. In a patch of grass to his left, a group of Meditite sat in deep meditation, unbothered by the hail pelting their skin. Lucky bastards.  
Gary reached the lodge and recalled Arcanine into his Pokeball. He knocked on the door of the lodge then pounded it. The older you got, the less acceptable it was to just barge into people’s homes, as it turned out.

“Oh! A trainer!”

An elderly woman dressed in a pink parka answered the door. She stood out of the way to let him in and Gary suddenly realized he hadn’t quite regained his land legs yet. He promptly collapsed in a nearby wooden chair.

“Oh my, have you been walking long?”

“I rode my Arcanine,” Gary admitted sheepishly. “We’ve been traveling for the better part of a day.”

“Gracious.” The woman moved to her kitchen and immediately started preparing cups of coffee for the both of them. “Even though trainers must come this way to get to Snowpoint Gym, I hardly ever get visitors these days.”

Gary couldn’t imagine why. The woman came back into her small living area and sat on a stool. Her house was sparsely furnished with a dining table in another area, a hallway that likely led to the bathroom and bedroom, a TV (naturally), and the living area. It was cozy at least.

“You look a little older, though…” the woman commented, so quietly Gary almost didn’t hear it.

“Oh, I’m not a trainer—anymore. I’m a researcher now.”

“Like Professor Rowan?”

“Yes, I work with him.”

“You’re studying Pokemon in the area then!” The woman clasped her hands together. “You simply must visit the field behind my house. It’s home to lots of nice Sneasels and who knows what else these days. 

“Thank you, but I’m looking for someone. I lost an… um, my partner seems to have gotten so excited he ran off without me a few weeks early. Have you seen him? Lavender hair, wears a sports jacket.”

The woman put a hand to her chin. “You know, I saw someone that sounds like that pass through here. He didn’t stop but he was heading towards Snowpoint at a pretty steady pace. He might even be there by now.”

Gary swore under his breath. “Thanks. I better catch up to him.”

“Good luck out there young man,” the old woman said and smiled. Gary smiled back and thanked her for the coffee.

 

Back outside, Gary called Arcanine out of his ball. Arcanine didn’t look very happy to be outside in the cold again. 

“Come on boy, I think we’re almost there. But we gotta hurry. Who knows what that kid’s up to.”

Gary braced himself and Arcanine took off in the howling winds, gaining speed even in the snow. As much as Gary loved his Arcanine sometimes he missed having a Rapidash. Talk about making it to places in record time.

Close turned out to be a few hours away, and by the time the hail and snow started letting up, the sun was setting again. They’d been out for a least a day, almost a day and a half. They finally made it to their destination, covered in glittering snow crystals but not too worse for wear. Gary immediately headed for the Pokemon center.

It was warm inside the Center and they were offering cups of cocoa. Gary snatched one gratefully—the last cup, as it turned out and children glared at him—and stood at the counter while his Pokemon healed. From overhead, the layout of the city resembled a snowflake, but on the ground he could see the tall regal buildings and tall evergreen trees decorated with snow like jewels. 

“Thank you, sir,” the nurse said and bowed. “We hope to see you again!”

“We’ll see about that,” Gary muttered and hitched the Pokeballs back onto his belt in a specific order. And now to find the temple.


	8. A.I.R

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gary finally catches up to Paul in the temple and tries to stop him, but they end up confessing to each other

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That continuity snarl wasn't too bad. All I had to say was "movie amnesia? Never happened!" then it worked out. Also Paul is bona fide intense as hell now.

As it turned out the temple wasn’t hard to find. A focal point of the sparsely populated town, signs pointed at it. Also, there was a commotion surrounding it.

Gary ran up the stairs. He had all the bad feelings about this. 

At the top of the stone steps, surrounded by a small crowd of people stood Candice, the Gym Leader, holding a dizzy-looking woman dressed like a miko. Candice saw him running and squinted.

“Have we met? … Oh, yes, you’re the Kanto Gym Leader!”

“Gary Oak reporting,” Gary said. The miko groped for a stone pillar and grabbed it to balance herself. “What’s going on here?”

“This temple guardian says she was attacked by a trainer!” Candice said. She stood closer to Gary now and let the townspeople attend to the miko. Candice continued, “She said a trainer came up to her and blew Sleep Powder from a Butterfree in her face and just barged right in. This temple is home to a very dangerous myth Pokemon!”

Gary’s mouth grew dry. Ash was right, and now he didn’t like this at all either. He was going to have to take back what he said about the kid being stupid, too. 

“I… I’ll get him. Don’t worry, just stay out here.”

“I’m sorry Gary, but as the Gym Leader here I’m obligated to go with you.”

“I understand that, but please let me go alone. I… I don’t know quite what he’ll do.”

Candice’s eyebrows shot up. “So you know the person that did this?”

“Yeah. Let’s just say he’s… he’s misguided. I’m trying to help him but to do that I need to go alone, please trust me.” Gary managed a smirk. “I am the best Kanto has to offer, after all.”

Candice frowned and put her fists on her hips. “… Okay. As a fellow Gym Leader I will trust your judgment, but if you’re not out of there soon or something _else_ happens, I’m coming down there!”

“Don’t worry, I already have back up,” Gary said with a chuckle and a barely suppressed sigh. This was going to be a long night. 

The inside of Snowpoint Temple was well lit, but it still had a hazy aura about it, like smog. He saw a flight of stairs in the back, and as he neared it he felt a rumble from one of the floors below. What the hell did Paul think he was doing? Gary took the flight of stairs and entered a cold cave with moist ground that had iced over in places. It still wasn’t quite dark but Gary didn’t think his light would last long. 

Another rumble, this one louder and stronger. Gary cursed and made his way as quickly as he could without dying to the next flight of stairs.

“Paul!” he called out. “Paul, it’s me. Whatever you’re trying to do, it’s not worth it!”

Gary heard something that faintly sounded like “don’t tell me that”, or maybe he was hearing things. The rumbling had stopped for now, however, and Gary safely made his way downstairs to the next floor. The ground here was steadier but full of jagged rocks and a few groups of Pokemon spying at him from the darkness. He’d have to come back to this area soon, but…

A third flight of stairs. Gary made it to the bottom and called out again, “Paul!”

The noise echoed on the thick sheet of ice that covered the ground, on the cave walls, and back to the ceiling. Gary definitely heard someone groan, “You idiot!” before the familiar flapping of wings and screeching descended on them.

“Shit! Tyranitar, come out and use Rock Slide!”

“Weavile, duck and use Ice Shard!”

The flock of Golbat fell under the weight of the combined rock slide and ice attack, but another group dropped down and took their place. The screeches were deafening and disorienting; Gary clutched his ears from his position and crouched down.

“Tyranitar, use another Rock Slide!”

Gary heard the attack make contact but didn’t see it. He felt something move next to him and overhead heard Paul call out, “Electivire, Protect!”

A large bubble surrounded the two humans and their Pokemon, dampening the noise of the startled Golbats.

“Brace yourself,” Paul muttered to Gary, and then said to his hulking Electivire calmly, “Electivire, drop your shield and use Giga Impact.”

There was a brief moment of silence before the sound came rushing back, followed by a low rumble that shook the cavern and fractured some of the ice. At a focal point a bright light appeared before it spread and spread, illuminating the Golbats for a split second and then there was a loud boom. The Golbat that didn’t drop dead or pass out from the attack flew past Gary on the stair case to a much safer area. Once they were gone, Gary noticed Paul was glaring daggers at him.

“Uh-uh, don’t look at me like that. Technically this is your fault.”

“Oak, what are you doing here?”

“Paul, what the hell are YOU doing here?” Gary yelled. “You’d better start telling me the truth right now. You’re not here for _training_ , are you? There’s something in here you want.”

Paul’s lips twitched into a small smirk and he turned around. He recalled his Weavile and Electivire at the same time and in one movement hitched the Pokeballs back to his belt. Gary would have been impressed if he weren’t so pissed. 

“I was having my Weavile destroy the ice, but there’s actually a trick to get across it. Follow me.”

Silently, Paul glided across the ice in a geometrical pattern. Gary copied his movements and the two of them ended up at another rocky staircase. They climbed it together and reached a vast, darkened cavern with a pinpoint of light at the very end.

“Paul…” Gary whispered. “Dude, I think you’ve gone nuts.”

“Nuts,” Paul repeated and nodded. “I don’t know if I disagree.”

Gary was mildly surprised at that answer. Paul removed his jacket and sat down on it, next to a rock. Gary left his thick coat on but sat next to him.

“You’ll get cold if you do that,” Paul warned.

“Same to you.”

“How did you find me?”

“When you knock a temple miko out, people tend to notice,” Gary said dryly. “Now, do you want to explain to me why we’re here?”

Paul drew his knees up to his chest. “Power.”

“Not this shit again.”

“Let me explain. Remember the last time we fought each other? You asked me if I had some kind of story… I do.”

Gary leaned back and moved closer to Paul. “Well, I’m listening now.”

Paul took a deep breath. “When I was younger I looked up to my brother as this great trainer, until he fought one of the Frontier Brains... Reggie went up against Brandon, the Pyramid King in this region, and lost. No, more than lost. Gave up. Stop training and became a breeder. Wasted potential. I never wanted to be like that, so I traveled but I was…” Paul let out a bitter laugh. 

“Even when I fought you I knew I was unworthy, I just didn’t want to admit it. When you cleaned the floor with me, I went back to Sinnoh utterly broken. But I remembered what you’d said to me and… I studied your techniques and got better. I won against the pathetic trainers around Sinnoh and tried the Frontier. I got all the way to the top but I lost, just like Reggie. I couldn’t believe it. He took all my Pokemon down with a Regirock. It’s been driving me mad ever since. I don’t even care about the League but… I heard the legend of an ancient Pokemon in these temple ruins, Regigigas, master of the three elemental types. My strength proves me worthy to have it, and if I awaken it—”

Paul heard the strike across his face before he even felt it, and then he was just numb with shock. He touched his cheek as if it might be bleeding and stared at Gary, who was red-faced with rage.

“Paul, you’re _insane_. You’re talking crazy! Are you really thinking about awakening a dangerous legendary beast just so you can win some Pokemon challenge?”

“I…” Paul looked downward and for a horrible moment Gary thought he might cry. “I thought _you_ of all people would understand!”

“Paul, I do understand! I’ve fought my share of mythical life-destroying deities, it’s no fun and it’s usually not worth it in the long run. I can’t believe this.” 

“And what about you?” Paul hissed. “What’s your story?”

“Mine?” Gary was genuinely taken aback. “What… what do you mean?”

“You don’t fool me with your false veneer of humility. So just come out with it.”

“Nothing—well, everything happened to me pretty fast when I was young. I went from not losing a single match to losing against some genetic monstrosity.”

Paul blinked and stared. “What do you mean…?”

“Oh, yeah, I didn’t mention. The guy I took my gym from? Got a hold of this thing called Mewtew. A Pokemon clone. Unleashed it onto the world because he too was a man that sought great power,” Gary said. “But it backfired horribly and almost destroyed… it wiped out our memories but it came back. It beat me the first time and I nearly lost my mind because I’d never even _heard_ of anything like that before. Who bounces back from that? If it weren’t for Ash… It was downhill from there. I went from never losing to losing my Championship in one day. And no one wants to be around you after you’ve lost everything, so.”

The two of them sat in silence for a long time, before Paul spoke. “It seems we’re both fundamentally fucked up people.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. But we need to get out of here.” Gary blew a cold breath. “I’m so glad I caught you. Paul, you don’t need to go controlling deities just to prove you’re hot shit. You are, I know you are, and soon more people will, too. But not if you wreck all of Sinnoh.”

“Without power, I didn’t feel… worthy. Worthy of owning Pokemon, worthy of my brother, of… you.”

Gary turned to face Paul as well as he could in the darkness. “Don’t ever feel like that, Paul. I’m not here for your power or strength; I’m here because I care about you.”

“Care?”

“Yes. Okay, fine, I’ll say it: I love you, Paul. But that doesn’t leave this cavern, got it?”

Paul nodded and moved into kiss Gary. Their cold hands pressed against each other’s warm flesh but they couldn’t bear to attempt taking each other’s clothing off. Instead they groped the bulges in the other person's pants and massaged and groped to hardness. Gary aggressively bit the cold flesh of Paul’s neck and he yelped. In retaliation he pinched one of Gary’s rock-hard nipples through his shirt. Gary shuddered against him and forced a knee between his thighs and stroked his half exposed cock. He replaced the knee with his spit-lubed hand and jerked Paul nearly painfully, while the other boy struggled to grab hold of him through their tangle of arms. Finally, Gary grabbed Paul’s hand and led it to him and they pumped each other until they came nearly at the same time with shuddering gasps, sagging against each other and the rock behind them.

Gary leaned back with his eyes closed. Idly he reached his hand back and scraped the semen off against the stone. As his breathing evened, something tickled his nostrils and he sneezed. And sneezed again. He soon realized the sensation was deliberate but by then his limbs were starting to go numb.

“Goddamnit, Paul!” he yelled out even as his jaw clenched up. Stun Spore. Of course he would be carrying Stun Spore. “Can’t believe… I fell…”

“You didn’t fall for anything, really,” Paul assured him calmly as he stood up. “In fact, you nearly convinced me to leave. But I am crazy.” 

He smiled and called out his Electivire. “Electivire, protect Gary at all cost.” He leaned down to whisper in Gary’s ear. “You’ll be safe here, although it’d be okay if you died so you can take your dirty secret about loving me to the grave.”

“Didn’t…me…”

But Paul was already walking away to the final staircase that would lead him to the lair of the sleeping deity of the temple.


	9. Assist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash decides to go after Gary and Paul, but first he has to round up a team

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to chapter 9 and I officially lied about this being shorter than Power Trick. It's coming to a conclusion pretty soon though. I'm thinking it will become a trilogy because honestly why not.
> 
> I gave Brock some of his HGSS team because I like to imagine he's like me and keeps separate teams for contests & ass beating etc. Playing fast & loose with the anime time line. I love posse wrangling!

For the Sinnoh League conference, trainers from out of the region were given allotted hotel space in three cities: Sunyshore, Hearthome, and Pastoria. From there on, the trainers would have to make their way through Victory Road to the island for the conference. Technically, Ash was staying in Sunyshore, but he had given his room up so he could train. Instead, Brock moved into it. It also helped that Brock did decent impression of Ash’s voice, something Ash would have never known if it weren’t for the fact that the hotel staff had to call him regularly to confirm that he was still holed up in that tiny space.

Meanwhile, Ash spent most of his time training and either sleeping in the Sunyshore City hotel room or staying with Dawn. Occasionally he would still sleep outside. You just couldn’t knock the traveler out of him.

After Gary’s rather mysterious call, Ash had returned to his hotel room, surprising Brock.

“What’s up?” Brock asked. He was in the bathroom with his shirt off, and his Marshtomp was enjoying a swim around in the tub. 

“Sorry to barge in like this,” Ash said and set his gear down on the bed. Pikachu leapt off his shoulder and snuggled into a pillow.

“Technically it’s your room,” Brock said and laughed. He put his shirt back on and walked over into the kitchen outlet. “You guys hungry? How’s training going?”

“Going good… um. Brock. I think I need help.”

“Help training?”

“No. Um, I told you I’ve been talking to Gary, right? Well, he called a while ago and told me to come over… and he gave me a Croagunk.”

“Oh really?” Brock let out a round of staccato laughter. “Oh, jeez. Don’t let it get too close to _my_ Croagunk. Why’d he give you that, though?”

“Because I think he’s gonna die!”

Brock was so startled he dropped the empty pan he was cleaning off, splashing little droplets of water on himself and his bare feet. “Wh-what?!”

“Brock, it’s terrible! He’s seeing Paul and Paul’s crazy and he’s in Snowpoint doing god knows what—”

“Ash.”

“And—and—I think he’s gonna get killed!”

“Ash!”

Ash stopped babbling and looked to Brock, his lip quivering. Brock dragged a chair from the kitchen and set it up in front of the bed. He sat down and patted Ash on his arm.

“Okay, start from the beginning.” Suddenly, his mouth twisted somewhere between a grin and a grimace. “…Did you just say Gary was seeing Paul? Like, romantically?”

Ash blushed faintly. “Oh, yeah. I forgot to tell you about that… I told Dawn instead. Um, basically they’re going out now, so.” 

“How on Earth did _that_ happen? I didn’t think Gary was gay, and I didn’t think Paul was… anything.” 

“I didn’t ask,” Ash admitted. “They seem pretty happy. Too bad freakin’ Paul’s out of his _mind_. Gary says he went to Snowpoint without telling anyone and… remember what’s in Snowpoint?”

“Ahh, the gym? The… temple?” Brock sat up rigid. “The temple. Don’t tell me he’s going to the temple.”

“Gary’s gone off to get him and said that if he didn’t try to call me in two days to come get him. He must think something’s wrong!”

Brock rested a hand under his chin. “Okay, but why the Croagunk?”

“I don’t know. Here, look at it.”

Ash was illegally carrying seven Pokeballs—according to League standards, anyway—but fortunately no one had asked him about it. He called out the Croagunk. The Croagunk looked around the room and croaked, then hopped on the bed next to Pikachu.

“Croag…unk.”

“It’s face…” Ash said and shivered.

Brock walked over to inspect the Pokemon. “So, Croagunk, you’re Gary’s friend?”

The Croagunk nodded enthusiastically at first, and then waved its hands in an oddly human gesture to imply “sort of”.

“Oh, I get it. If we needed to find Gary, do you think you could help?”

The Croagunk nodded again. “Croag!”

“Okay. I think that’s why Gary gave him to you. So, you’re right Ash, he must think something’s going to happen. How long has he been gone?”

“Not even a day yet, but I can’t wait anymore!” Ash stamped his foot impatiently. Croagunk looked at him and held his gaze for a long minute. “Don’t you freaking judge me!”

Brock gently nudged the Croagunk away and hid a snicker behind his hand before getting serious again. “Ash, I understand how you feel, but shouldn’t we let Gary and Paul talk this out?”

“I just have a really bad feeling about this. Can we just… go to Snowpoint anyway? Even if nothing’s wrong. I wanted to talk to Dawn about it, too. I just…” Ash sat down on the bed and Croagunk quickly hopped in his lap. Ash ignored it for the time being. “I know me and Gary have our differences, and Paul’s a jerk, but I’m worried. Not to mention, the legendary that’s down there could destroy the city, maybe the region!”

Brock couldn’t argue with Ash on that one. It was weird to use him using logic more often and not pure gut feeling and heart. “Okay, Ash. If Dawn agrees, we’ll start heading there tonight. Just let me arrange my team.” 

Ash clasped his hands together. “Thank you, Brock. I’ll go see Dawn right now.” 

Ash nudged Pikachu to wake him up. Pikachu roused and hopped on Ash’s shoulder and they headed out. Alone, Brock fished his Marshtomp out of the bathtub.

“Marshtomp!” the Pokemon said.

“Hey buddy, ready for a battle?”

“Marsh!”

The Croagunk hopped off the bed as if to say, “Me too!” 

At the Sunyshore Pokecenter, Brock, Croagunk, and Marshtomp went up to the computer. As soon as he got there, however, a line of eager young trainers started forming behind them. He didn’t have long to decide before they raided him or started sniveling at him. Brock didn’t hate kids by a long shot but sometimes he had to keep his inner Old Man from popping out at them.

Gym Leaders didn’t change their teams often, and unlike some of his companions, Brock had organized lists. Pokemon for breeding. Pokemon for shows and contests. And Pokemon for striking fear into lesser trainers and remind them why he was a Gym Leader in the first place.

“Withdrawing Kabutops,” the computer said.”

It was easy for some trainers to take Brock for granted, sometimes. Being first in line, trainers took him for a pawn versus the Bishops and Queens in the region, but he was more like a Tower.

“Withdrawing Crobat.”

Ash learned the trick. It amused Brock to think of how often he and Gary had in common. Former foes and now friends to Ash, and both of them liked to get out of the house every now and then, so to speak.

“Withdrawing Golem.”

He scratched his Marshtomp’s fins a bit. He wasn’t scared or worried, or at least not that he would let himself be. In fact, the news of Gary’s relationship with Paul was itching at him far more than any destruction Paul could possibly cause. Gary was reckless and an asshole at times—no, all the time—but he wasn’t the sort that suffered the same behavior lightly. And Paul was definitely that in spades with a side of manipulative and controlling, maybe it was an ebb and flow type thing.

“Withdrawing Onix.”

Brock stood at the computer a few seconds too long and Croagunk started dragging him away. Startled, Brock quickly got out of the way of the long line of young trainers eager to jostle up their teams. This Croagunk did remind him very much of his own. Were they all that way? The Croagunk stared up at him and inflated his sac cheeks. Brock suddenly felt a wave of shame for internally gossiping.

“Okay, okay!” he yelled out to no one in particular. The stares from the kids and the nurse followed him out the door.

 

Ash swooped into Dawn’s front yard on his Staraptor. He recalled it just as Dawn stepped onto the porch.

“Oh! I should have figured it was you, Ash,” she said. “What’s up?”

“Dawn, Snowpoint, urgent!”

Pikachu stroked Ash’s hair. Ash was calm when he left Sunyshore but over the course of the ride he had watched his trainer descending into panic with no one to hold him back.

“Um, what? I’m kind of busy…”

Ash bounded up to the porch and grabbed Dawn’s hands. “You don’t understand! Gary, Paul, legendaries, destruction, doom!”

Pikachu scratched Ash’s face.

“Ow!”

“Ash, calm down! Make whole sentences!” Dawn shouted, starting to grow agitated. Her mother and Piplup poked their heads out the door.

“Oh, hi Ash!”

“Hi. Dawn, okay. Please listen: Gary says that Paul went off to Snowpoint City to ‘train’, but thinks he’s actually going to go do something stupid at Snowpoint Temple.”

Dawn worried her lip. “Stupid? Like what?”

“Like awakening the legendary Pokemon!”

Dawn sighed. “Oh, damnit. Well, fortunately the Pokemon down there can’t be awakened unless someone brings the three legendary guardians to it. And the only person that has those is Pyramid King Brandon, so… I don’t know what else he could do!”

“Really?” Ash relaxed a little, but grew tense. “Are you sure there’s no other way?”

“Honestly, I don’t know, Ash. That’s what the legend says.” She started worrying her lower lip again. “But… I guess we have to go check it out, don’t we? God, why can’t Gary get Paul under control?”

“He doesn’t know him like we do,” Ash grumbled. 

“Or he sees something that we don’t?” Dawn said with an optimistic smile, but the glare that Ash shot her drained her spirits. “Okay, okay, we’ll go. Let me grab my Pokeballs.”

While Dawn fetched her equipment, Ash took out his phone and dialed Brock. “Brock? I got Dawn, can you meet us at Snowpoint? Don’t worry about waiting, just go straight into the temple if you can. Thanks.”


	10. Regigigas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paul tries to claim his prize in the temple

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well here it is, the giant fight scene. I won't lie, this was hard haha, but pretty worth it I think. Let's not even talk about how RageCandyBars technically work. Also by damn I keep spelling some Pokemon names wrong so I'll go fix that in previous chapters.

The icy bedchamber of the legendary Pokemon Regigigas sparkled before Paul as he took the last staircase. Three pillars made of ice, rock, and steel stood before him, guarding a lurking shadowy figure. He knew it well. He had studied it, seen it in picture books. It was as if he believed it was real enough and there it was before his eyes. He could touch it… but not yet.

He pulled the candy bar from his pocket. A Mahogany Town specialty—the Rage Candy Bar. He was told it wouldn’t work, but Paul made a life out of surpassing the odds. He deserved this. He was worthy to possess this, something that could be truly his.

Paul didn’t underestimate power in his quest to control it. He knew the risks, and if anything went awry Electivire wouldn’t be able to protect them for long. If he fucked this up they died, but wasn’t this worth a hero’s death?

He approached the moss-covered statue, holding the candy bar like a scepter. Of course statues didn’t eat candy but the Rage Candy Bar had a mystical property about it capable of awakening stone statues, reviving incapacitated Pokemon, and luring in raging sea dragons. He pressed the candy bar to his lips, smearing some of it that had melted against his hand, and laid a kiss near where the statue’s face would be.

He waited. In the silence, his confidence was slowly diminishing. He was starting to feel downright silly when a pebble rolled towards his foot. Odd, the statue was smooth as if designed by a caring hand. Another pebble dropped and something creaked. The Pokemon’s seven eyes opened, glowing red.

Paul took a few steps back before he regained himself, groped at the Pokeballs around his belt.  
“Standby for battle.”

 

Gary had no idea how Pokemon did it.

Sure, they had Potions and Antidotes and Full Restores to fix them up during and after a battle, but being stunned was a _bitch_. After five minutes he couldn’t feel his legs, and after a few more his arms quit too. It was like swimming in cold, dead space. Above him, Electivire was standing in a neutral position. How did he do it? When he got hit by a Thunder Wave how did he tough it out? Think like a Pokemon.  
Gary remembered—you typically don’t “fight” out of PAR (his mind always read it in letters). You did whatever your trainer told you until he or she either had the kindness to heal you or you were incapable of battling. 

He heard something rumble dully upstairs, and the sound reverberated throughout his numb body.

 _Think like a trainer_ , he told himself. _Ugh, move._

His arms still worked and he knew where they were, even if they felt like rubber. He consciously clenched his fist around the stone behind him and heaved himself up. Even Electivire looked surprised. Gary knew the Pokemon wouldn’t obey him except to protect him, but he had his own team. He fumbled around for the Pokeballs attached to his belt. 

“Gyarados!”

The blue serpentine Pokemon came out of its ball and Gary latched on to its tail. There was no ice on this floor but it was getting colder, and the draft was coming from the stairs. 

 

Ash rode on his Staraptor and Dawn flew on her Togekiss. The Togekiss was swift but was having a hard time keeping up with Ash’s determination. From what Ash had told her about Gary, she didn’t think he would care so much about him. She didn’t know how quick she would ever be to rescue her rival from falling off a cliff, but Ash was just that way.

The Croagunk rested in her lap. She didn’t mind it as much as Ash seemed to; he kept claiming it was “judgmental”. She had shrugged and took it. They wore their heavy winter gear and flew through the blinding snow and hail to Snowpoint City. When they arrived, there was a tense crowd standing at the steps of the temple. Candice’s hands were clenched, a Pokeball in one.

“Candice,” Ash said evenly. “Has anything happened yet?”

Candice looked at him. “It’s really quiet… Ash, someone else is in there already I can’t—” 

“We’re going in.”

Even as Candice protested Ash shoved past her and he practically dragged Dawn along with him. Pikachu and Croagunk tagged along behind him. He had seen the puzzles and challenges the temple had to offer and completely bypassed them, but on the third floor there was a great rumble like a self-contained earthquake, and he and Dawn nearly fall over.

“Ash, I think we’re too late,” Dawn shouted over the din. “Ash?”

“Come on,” Ash growled uncharacteristically. He twisted his cap backwards in one smooth motion. “Infernape, I choose you!”

The flaming Pokemon burst out of his ball and landed on the ground. He looked to his trainer expectantly. Ash glanced back at Dawn and she quickly called out her Togekiss.

“Do you think it’ll be enough?” she asked.

Ash simply nodded and looked to the Croagunk. “Upstairs, right?” Croagunk nodded. He signaled for Dawn to follow him and they bounded up the stairs, Pokemon trailing behind.

 

Paul didn’t think he’d ever see the day he would be dodging Hyper Beams along with his Ursaring. It’s not that Pokemon attacks were uncommon, but he wasn’t quite used to the fatal kind. Common misconception, that—Pokemon weren’t capable of seriously hurting humans. That was true, but only when they weren’t physical gods.

He ducked and rolled under another massive Hyper Beam that had gotten too close for comfort. So close that it singed his jacket. He could feel the heat on his chest. Fuck. He looked up; Ursaring was doing okay, but he was having trouble landing a hit. 

Regigigas was none too happy about being woken up. Paul could accept that. It was currently going ballistic and blasting the area with beam attacks. Paul could accept that, too. It had razed the icy ground until Paul could see small holes in the ground, and he knew the foundation wouldn’t last much longer before they fell through. He shivered and cursed under his breath. Ice chunks and debris still clung to his face and hair. Another beam ricocheted in his direction and he moved out of its way, sliding on a patch of ice and into a wall.

“Ursaring, Hammer Arm!” Ursaring roared then looked back to Paul. “Don’t worry about me, just do it!”

Ursaring roared again and charged at the Regigigas again with a glowing fist. He launched himself into the air and brought the fist down onto the raging Regigigas, knocking it backwards. Slowly, however, the Regigigas stood back up and started lurching towards them again. Paul stood up and prepared to recall Ursaring, but the Pokemon swatted at him angrily.

“You… don’t want to come back?” Paul asked with wonder then shook his head. “Get back in the Pokeball, you’ve had enough!” Ursaring ignored him, however, and shook his head. Paul simply stared at him before resting his arms. “Alright. Focus Blast, go!”

Ursaring’s fists glowed again and he threw himself recklessly at the Regigigas. The longer the battle continued Paul knew the stronger and faster the Pokemon would get, like a juggernaut. He chose an empty Ultra Ball from his belt. Just weaken it, even a little… if they survived.

The Focus Blast landed solidly on the Regigiga’s chest area and this hit kept it down for a little longer, but it ultimately got up again and grabbed Ursaring’s arm in a painful twist. The Pokemon cried out, followed by a sick crackling noise that made Paul gasp and his face blanched. Crush Grip. Ursaring bellowed in pain as the Regigigas squeezed it and drove it into the fractured ground.

Something rumbled on the ruined stair case behind Paul and he looked back. From the darkness a vicious blue serpent sprang up, letting out a piercing roar and zig-zagging towards the Regigigas. Attached to its tail were Gary and Electivire. Gary dropped to the ground and yelled out, “Gyarados, Waterfall!”

Suddenly springing into action again, Paul followed up with, “Electivire, Thunder Punch!”

The Gyarados threw its body against the Regigigas, followed by streams of water that it seemed to create with its own body. Right behind it, Electivire crackled with electric energy and landed a punch to the Regigiga’s side. It finally dropped Ursaring and seemed to twist in two different directions as if it might unscrew or break apart. Paul recalled his Ursaring and Gary grabbed him, his grip too tight as if his hands didn’t quite work.

“I didn’t need you to rescue me,” Paul hissed, somewhere between hysterical rage and misery. Gary snorted at him and forced his jaw to work.

“I know,” he slurred, “but I did it anyway. Fucking deal with it. Like I dealt with your Stun Spore powder.”

Paul looked deeply ashamed but Gary ignored him. He leaned on Paul for support and shouted, “Gyarados, Ice Fang!

The Gyarados’s teeth glistened with ice and sank into the statue’s arm, freezing it on contact. Regigigas shoved Electivire aside and body slammed the Gyarados. Gyarados groaned and fended the statue off with its tail.

“Fuck, it’s strong!” Gary said. The feeling was coming back in his throwing arm at least. 

“That’s not the half of it,” Paul muttered and clenched his fist around Gary’s waist. “The longer the fight keeps up the stronger it gets. Slow Start.”

“Slow Start?”

“It’s ability. If I don’t catch it soon—”

Gary stared at Paul incredulously. “You’re still going to _catch_ that thing?” 

Paul’s face grew hard but Gary continued to stare him down. “I told you what I was here for.”

“This is still nuts.”

“Do you hate me for it?”

Gary thought a moment and sighed through his nose. “We’re still alive, so not yet.” He turned back to the battle. “Gyarados, shake it off and use Ice Fang!”

A sudden rush of energy flowed through Paul and he subconsciously pulled Gary closer. Aside from being on the receiving end of two ass kickings, he had never witnessed Gary fight up close. Even though he knew that Gary was still suffering the Stun Spore’s effects, he still stood next to him and barking orders to his Pokemon—exquisite, but he couldn’t continue that train of thought right now.

Gary recalled his Gyarados and unhitched another Pokeball. Electivire stood at the ready behind the stone Pokemon, who thus far was proving to be implacable. It put its giant hands together and started drawing energy. Gary’s mouth grew dry and Paul’s eyes widened.

“Gary… it’s doing to do a Giga Impact.”

“Paul, stop it.”

“Gary…”

“Paul, distract it.”

“Electivire, Thunder Punch!”

Electivire charged up and struck the Regigigas but the Regigigas shrugged it off and continued charging. Paul looked at Gary.

“That didn’t do what I had expected,” Gary said.

“Electivire, come here and use Protect!”

Electivire picked itself up and galloped towards its master. Its leg was bent at a strange angle. An opalescent shield sputtered to life over them, but not before Gary thought he heard something that sounded like “Mach Punch”.

A whizzing sound. He looked near the gaping hole that was once a stair case and saw a flash of light zip up and at the Regigigas. They collided for a split second and the Regigigas fell back. The spark of light then turned into flames and rolled into the Regigigas, and that was enough to stop its Giga Impact charge. The Regigigas skid back and the spark materialized to reveal an Infernape.

From the hole in the ground, a Togekiss carrying Dawn and Ash floated up serenely, and Ash immediately dived off. Paul called off the Protect.

“Ah, Ash. Now it’s a party.”

“Not quite,” Ash said with a smile, but when he saw Paul it quickly turned into a frown. He muttered something under his breath that Gary assumed was “freaking Paul.” The Croagunk made a noise and flailed, and ran straight to Gary.

“Croag!” it said, then frowned. “Croag?” It ran back to Ash and started tugging at his backpack.

“Hey!” Ash said. “What’s wrong, Croagunk?”

“Ash, do you have anything to cure paralysis?” Gary’s jaw was working fine now, and he had full use of one arm and part of a leg.

“Are your Pokemon hurt? I have a Full Restore.”

“Give it to Croagunk.”

“Gary, are you…?” Ash’s head immediately snapped over to Paul. “Paul, what the—what did you _do_?”

Croagunk sighed and yanked Ash’s backpack harder. Ash finally took it off and tossed the Pokemon a Full Restore. Croagunk waddled over and managed to spray Gary down. Surprisingly, it worked, and he could feel his limbs again in no time. He stopped using Paul for support and rotated his arm.

“Maybe you’re not so bad,” he said to the Croagunk with a smirk. 

“Guys, we’ve got some trouble,” Dawn said. “Togekiss, Sky Attack!”

The Togekiss flew up and darted down at a sharp angle, bowling the Regigigas over and sending it back. It was finally showing some wear and tear, with chips and cracks in its exterior. It got up more slowly this time and with some great effort. It sagged and lurched forward again and shot out a Hyper Beam.

“Dodge!”

Everyone ducked and the Hyper Beam zoomed over their heads. Ash yelled, “Pikachu, use Iron Tail!” 

Pikachu sprang forward and his tail glowed. He whipped around and brought it down on the Regigigas with a sharp noise, then recoiled and bounced off. The Regigigas launched another Hyper Beam and Pikachu rolled out of the way, but the close shot visibly singed his ear.

“Pikachu! You okay?” 

Pikachu winced but nodded. Ash turned back to the team.

“You guys get out of here, I can handle this.”

“Ash please stop your martyr act,” Gary said with a sigh. “We’re staying to put that thing back to sleep.” He shot Paul a glance that Ash didn’t understand. “And you have to stay, right…?”

Paul started shaking his head and opened his mouth to speak, but a sharp jerk of the ground and a deep rumble cut him off.

“The floor is falling!” Dawn cried out. “Togekiss—”

“Hang on, I think it’s—”

A gray blur shot through the ground and revealed itself to be an Onix. The rocky Pokemon spiraled upwards as Brock spiraled down until he slid on the floor.

“Now it’s a party,” Ash said with a grin. Gary simply gaped.

“How much back up do we need?” he said.

“Onix, use Bind!” 

The Onix wrapped around the fatigued Regigas and squeezed it until it let out a howl that rattled what was left of the floor. Ash and Dawn stepped forward.

“Okay, let’s put this thing to sleep, Dawn.”

“Right!”

“Stop,” Gary called out. He shot Paul another look and gestured. “It’s yours.”

Ash’s eyes widened. “You… you can’t mean…” 

Paul unhitched his Ultra Ball again and tossed it. In a red flash it snatched the Regigigas from Onix’s bind and rolled on the ground. It twitched once,

“Paul, you can’t be serious!” Ash yelled.

Twice,

“That thing is too powerful!” Dawn said.

Three times, and went still. Paul retrieved it and hitched it onto his belt.

Outside, the whole city had gathered around the temple. They had felt each miniature earthquake and knew the guardian was angry. The temple’s outside looked pristine, but the inside was a ruined wreck. The group walked down the stair case, with Paul leading. He held the Ultra Ball like a trophy, and smirked knowingly at Candice when he passed her.

“Be seeing you all,” he said with a quick glance to the group, his gaze lingering on Gary. As he left, Ash looked to Gary in a flurry of confusion and anger.

“Gary, stop him!”

But Gary watched the retreating figure stony faced, a fist pressed into his tightly clenched jaw.


	11. Down and Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natural laws tell us there's a reaction for every action, you know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that's a wrap. I hope you enjoyed the story and yeah there will be a third eventually. If you liked this one & Power Trick please look forward to it. I certainly enjoyed writing it. 
> 
> OC Sam is the token Osaka member, I've been wanting to make a joke about him forever but oh well. Explains his accent now. Sort of wasted that. I love Croagunk, btw.

Gary sat behind the Snowpoint Pokecenter, knees drawn up to his chest and head planted between them. His arms were wrapped loosely around his legs, latched together by his pinkies until they grew numb and his hands dropped to the ground with a dull thud. It was night time and he was well aware that he was sitting in at least a foot of snow. He definitely felt the cold, or did right up until his ass got numb. For now, the soft quiet of the city wrapped around him like a blanket. 

He heard the crunch of footsteps but didn’t want to look up. He didn’t want to talk to anyone anymore and couldn’t imagine that anyone still wanted to talk to him.

They had explained as best they could to Candice. And when Ash had sputtered out with rage and couldn’t make whole sentences anymore, he let Gary take over when Dawn escorted him out to cool off. 

“Gary Oak, I’ll have your badge for this!” Candice had yelled at him. “That wasn’t just any legendary, that Pokemon is a sacred relic! It’s the guardian of the Snowpoint Temple! It _needs_ to be there! Are you flipping stupid?”

He couldn’t disagree with her. He had been a fool thus far and his epiphanies were wasted now. 

Paul was long gone, probably off somewhere calculating his new capture’s strength and he prayed that Regigigas would be able to live up to that kid’s high standards.

He took a long breath. He missed smoking sometimes. He smoked in his teens and everyone told him that it fit his image as the Bad Boy. Then Granddad caught him in the yard once. Granddad didn’t say anything to him outright, but Gary felt so shamed by his look that he quit cold turkey the next day. God, did it hurt. His supporters weren’t there then when his body was screaming from withdrawal and he was popping peppermints like they were going out of style. Where were they now, anyway? Enablers. Is that what he was becoming?

He absently fingered the pendant hanging from his neck. The footsteps had stopped in front of him. Gary peeked up through his arms and saw a blue bandaged thing with orange cheeks.

“Croooaaag?” The Croagunk sounded sorrowful. Gary realized that he wasn’t even sure of the thing’s gender and hadn’t named it—probably shouldn’t either. He had dragged the poor thing into this and there it was, still beside him.

“Hey there buddy,” Gary said, forcing a smile. He petted the Croagunk. It wasn’t as slimy as he imagined it would be. In fact, it was quite dry and smooth. He Croagunk inflated its cheek sacs for him.

“Croaaaag.”

“Ready to go home?” 

Gary wasn’t sure if the Croagunk really understood him, but it bobbed up and down all the same. Gary stood up; he was soaked to the bone and shivering. Should he buy a Full Heal in case he froze? He laughed at his own joke, and behind him heard a harsh mocking laughter. He whipped around to see Ash standing in the light of the PokeCenter, arms crossed and face sullen. 

“I don’t see what’s so funny,” the trainer muttered.

“That’s ‘cause you didn’t hear the joke. I asked myself if I should buy a Full Heal so I don’t freeze on the way back. Funny now?”

“No.”

Croagunk crossed its arms and frowned. “Unk.”

Gary shrugged and walked into the Pokecenter. Ash called out “Hey!” behind him but Gary kept walking until he reached the medicines aisles. The young trainers had already ravaged the section and messed up the order so that everything was in the wrong place. Gary scanned awhile until he was handed a large yellow spray bottle.

“Here,” Ash said. 

Gary took it warily. “Thanks.”

“Gary.”

“Please, not now.”

“Be honest with me,” Ash said with a maturity that shocked Gary and made him want to weep at the same time. “Why… why _did_ you let him go? You know him well enough to know what will happen. And don’t tell me any different.”

Gary smiled sadly and ran a hand through his hair. “Would you be upset if I said I don’t know?”

Ash glared at him. “Is that the truth?”

“Part of it.” Gary set the Full Heal down on the shelf but picked it back up again. He tossed it to Croagunk then picked up a Potion bottle. “I know what I was thinking at the moment but I don’t understand myself now. As a Gym Leader, not only do I battle trainers and hand out prizes, but I teach them as well. That’s my job. I tried to teach Paul once and it stuck but… not in the way I meant. When I let him catch the Regigigas, I was trying to do it again. But after everything was over I realized how _wrong_ I’ve been.”

Unconsciously, Gary started arranging the medicines on the shelves in the right order. “I kept telling Paul how alike we were, but now I realize we’re not at all. He hasn’t gone through the same things I have and he never will. All this time, I’ve been treating him how I should have been treated back then, but that wasn’t right for me to do.” He stopped and laid his hands flat on the shelf. “I’m sorry for the mess I’ve caused. I don’t know how to make up for it except to go beat the hell out of him and release the Pokemon back into the temple. And what about you, Ash? You always see the good in everyone, you don’t see any hope for him?”

Ash smiled a little. “I bet he’ll release the Regigigas by tomorrow morning.”

Gary raised an eyebrow. “What makes you say that?”

Ash only chuckled and pointed a finger in Gary’s direction. Gary looked behind and beside himself before pointing a finger at his own chest and mouthing, “Me?”

“Yeah.”

“Nothing I’ve done so far has worked. What good do you see in him?”

“That he’s learning. Look, even though he paralyzed you in the cave he still protected you and gave up his strongest Pokemon to do it. Even a few months ago you would have been screwed and he probably would have let you die.” 

Gary nodded somberly. Ash continued, “So what are you going to do now? Do you… forgive him?”

“Yes,” Gary said immediately. “But that doesn’t mean… well, it doesn’t mean anything right now. God,” he started laughing and planted a hand in his hair. “God, Ash, have you ever dated?”

“No.”

Gary stopped laughing; he actually wasn’t expecting that answer. “O-oh… I just thought by now you would—”

“Why would I need to?” Ash asked, genuinely curious. Gary looked at him blankly a moment.

“Well… well I guess it doesn’t matter, you could still understand, couldn’t you? How complicated things are…”

Ash shrugged noncommittally. “Definitely.”

Suddenly, Gary swept Ash in his arms and drew the younger boy closer. He was aware of their heights then and noted with irritation that if Ash hit another growth spurt he would actually be a few inches taller. 

“G-Gary?!”

Gary planted a soft kiss on Ash’s forehead. “I’m gonna go. Tell everyone I said thanks and—I’m sorry. Give Candice my phone number if she wants to yell at me some more. Croagunk, put that Full Heal back.”

Croagunk did as ordered and Gary grabbed one of its stubby limbs. 

“Y-you’ll freeze!” Ash yelled out. Gary waved him off dismissively.

“I’m sure we’ll pick up some Sinnoh berries on the way back,” he said. “Oh, and Ash? Smell ya later, kid.” 

 

Gary successfully avoided his research group that night if only because they were asleep. He could go right on avoiding them in the morning but that wouldn’t have been fair. So he crashed in the room he shared with Roland, the Croagunk rolling under the floor and they slept until the wee hours of the morning. Gary woke up first but left the Pokemon alone. In the fridge he saw several bottles of colored liquor and pancake batter.  
Sam walked in on him first, drawn in by the scent of Oran berry pancakes.

“Mm _mm_ , what is that Gary Oak?” he said, slipping full throttle into his bumpkin accent. 

“Breakfast, Sam Tanaka,” Gary parroted. He took the skillet off the stove and slid the pancakes onto the plate. Sam sat at the dining room table expectantly.

“So…” Sam began, staring at his plate. Gary was so glad that Sam had found him first. Sam wasn’t nearly as inquisitive as the rest of his group, that is to say Sam left him the hell alone most of the time. Unless he was with Roland, but Roland had that effect on everyone.

“So what?” Gary asked.

“You were all on the news.”

“For something good, I hope.”

“Come on, Gary. Aren’t your adventuring days behind you yet?”

“Why do you think I’m a researcher?” Gary did hate how Sam talked to him sometimes, like he was world weary and so old when he was actually the youngest of them all. He put on those airs for respect and it tricked outsiders, but it just annoyed everyone else. 

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I’m leaving, by the way.”

Sam dropped his fork. “Leaving? But why?”

“All this needs to blow over first. I’ll be back, but right now…” Gary shoved his own plate away. “You know what, it’s personal. It’s…”

“Paul, right?”

“Yeah. Did the news mention everything that happened?”

“No, just that some huge Pokemon got away and you were there, and your friend, and him, and some other people. Why?”

“I’ll explain it all later, just. I need to get out right now. I realize that I can’t commit fully to this project anymore. I’m just waiting for everyone to wake up before I make it official.”

Sam nodded with understanding. “Will you go back to the gym?”

“Yeah. Let’s call that my official excuse… but don’t tell anyone, okay?”

Sam laughed and held out his little finger. “On my honor.” 

 

At the lab, Gary summoned his group before Professor Rowan and Lucas to announce his departure.

“I regret to inform you all that I have to leave on official League business. It seems I’ve been away too long…” Gary pressed his hands together and bowed. “Forgive me. I know you’ve all worked very hard…”

“You’ve worked hard, too,” Yuki acknowledged sadly.

“Thanks. But, League is the League and they’re my real bosses,” Gary said with a casual laugh. He turned to Professor Rowan and bowed. “Thanks for inviting me here, Professor Rowan, and I hope to work with you again soon.”

Rowan nodded curtly. 

“He said come back soon,” Lucas translated. 

“Take care of my Croagunk,” Gary warned playfully. “He’s special.” 

The group finished their goodbyes—with some more teary than others—and Gary went outside where his things were already packed into a few small suitcases and waiting for him. The group went back inside one by one until only Lucas stood outside with Gary. He unhitched a Pokeball from his belt and called out his Pidgeot. 

“Hey, Gary. Did you tell… you know.”

“Did I tell?” Gary thought for a moment. “Oh. Oh, no, not yet.”

“Do you really have to leave?” Lucas pressed. 

“Yes. Believe me, I do.”

“Okay. You handle that, and we’ll see you here again, okay?” Lucas gave him a friendly pat on the back and went inside. He pulled out his phone and started to dial, but stuck it back in his pocket. This required a personal touch.

 

Reggie tended to the herd of Bibarel in the vast backyard. Honestly, it was the only thing he could do at the moment. His brother had returned home that morning looking quite worn out and sullen, and when Reggie finally got him to talk, the boy had a nuclear meltdown. He smashed a couple plates and tore down some posters in his room before barricading himself inside. The atmosphere had finally got too thick for Reggie to breathe, so he came outside to enjoy the fresh air.

He wished Paul could see it. The sight of Pokemon running around, happy and enjoying life. It made him swell with pride because it was his doing, but also made him happy because it simply _was_. Pokemon would never be tools, they were living breathing things not put on the Earth to do anything in particular but exist. 

A gust of wind blew his hair back and nearly snatched his ponytail holder. The majestic Pidgeot landed before him. He’d never get tired of seeing that. So different from the Staraptors and yet so similar. Gary hopped off the back of the Pokemon and gave Reggie a friendly wave. 

“Gary! It’s been a while!” When he got close enough, Reggie swatted Gary on the back. “And… thanks for retrieving Paul for me.”

“No problem. How’s he doing?”

“Uhh well a few hours ago I would have said ‘not so good’ but I’m not sure now.” Reggie peered at the Pidgeot again and this time saw the suitcases slung over its back. “Oh… oh are you leaving?” He frowned. “Paul’s going to be awfully sorry to hear that. Is your research over already?”

“Official League business,” Gary said, and he was becoming afraid that if he said it anymore today he would begin to believe it. “I just wanted to come say goodbye.”

“Of course. He’s in his room. Um, good luck. If he doesn’t open the door break that sucker down. I can repair it.”

Gary let himself into the house. Even though he’d only been there once, and only for a little while, his muscle memory kicked in and he made his way to Paul’s bedroom quickly. He tried a tentative knock.

“I said go away,” Paul said, his voice horribly raspy.

“Not Reggie,” Gary said. There was some movement in the room and Paul opened the door, looking incredulous.

“Gary…?” he said. “I… I thought…”

“Hey, let me in.”

Paul let him in wordlessly and Gary sat on the bed. He patted down a place for Paul to sit next to him.

“So, how’s Regigigas?”

Paul looked down at the ground. “You hate me for that.”

“No.”

Paul looked up sharply. “Don’t lie. Don’t pity me.”

“I don’t,” Gary said, suddenly irritated. “I already told you. I asked you how it was doing.”

“Fine. Powerful. A fine specimen. Seems to obey me.”

“Will it be enough to get you what you want?”

“I’m sure it will be.”

“Good. I’m glad. And when you’re done, come back and challenge me again.” Gary stood up abruptly. “Paul, I don’t want to beat around the bush. I need to go back to Kanto on official League business.”

Paul looked stunned. “League… business.”

“Yes. You can still call me but I might be busy a lot. I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

“Gary… it’s… me, right?”

Gary glowered down at Paul but said nothing. Paul stood up and moved his hands as if he wasn’t sure what to do with them.

“Gary, you don’t have to go. I’m sorry.”

“Paul, I’ve been really stupid with you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve… I’ve not treated you like I should have. I’ve micromanaged you. I treated you like a child—treated you like myself. But you’re not me, right? You’re your own person and I needed to find that out. That’s why I didn’t stop you. I wanted to see who you really are and make sure I wasn’t deluding myself and loving a delusion.” Gary smiled and touched his hand. “Nothing’s changed. So when I come back, let’s start over from the beginning, okay?”

Paul felt as if he’d been hit by a Thunder Wave and all he could do was sit down. He nodded but didn’t understand. Gary kissed his forehead but he didn’t feel it. And when the other man finally left, he only acknowledged it when Reggie came in to check on him.

“Oh no, what happened?”

“I…” Paul knew that he wasn’t a person of many emotions, but he even he could recognize the thick bile of tears. He swallowed back. “I don’t really know.”

“Did you two break up?” Reggie sat down and wrapped his arm around Paul and didn’t care if his little brother protested. This was his job, after all.

“I guess… well… the people we thought we were broke up.” Paul stared at the floor a few minutes then stood up. “I need to do something… I’ll be back.” 

 

Eight badges. Eight Sinnoh badges and a League conference on the line. Eight badges would make any Pokemon—legendary or not—obey him. But not people. Not his feelings. 

Paul stood in Mt. Coronet in front of the exit that led to Snowpoint. He could already feel the howling winds and small pelts of hail would hit against the cave walls like chimes. He threw the Ultra Ball and called out Regigigas.

It was still an imposing figure, even “tamed” as it was. Its head nearly hit the high ceiling of the cave and its great body took up even more space.

“Go,” Paul said sternly. “You’re not strong enough. You’re released.”

The stone statue Pokemon came to life very slowly. Its seven small eyes looked down at him and shone green this time. It reached its massive hand out and touched Paul’s forehead so gently it felt like a feather. Paul stared up in awe as the guardian left the cave and trudged on in the snow, leaving mossy green footprints in its wake. The next day the Sinnoh News would report that the temple guardian had returned to its rightful place, now in ruins, as if of its own volition. 

A few days later, the remaining research group in Sandgem huddled around a video phone connection in the far corner of Professor Rowan’s office. The screen flickered to life and Gary waved at the group with a huge smile on his face. Behind him stood a female Ace Trainer. Although they had all seen it before, it was still strange seeing Gary in his “gym gear”. For one, the fleece-lined jacket was, while undeniably cool, quite unseasonable. And the khakis made it seem like he was heading for the deserts of Hoenn. And of course that pendant. 

“Heeey guys,” Gary said, “and ladies. This is my Ace Salma, by the way. Say hi Salma.”

Salma said nothing.

“Gary!” Roland cheered. “How’s it goin’, man? It’s not the same without you.”

“I’m sure you’re getting on fine without me. I’m fine here. The League didn’t come down on my ass too hard this time, thank goodness. Still stealing the hopes and dreams of trainers that aren’t ready. Where’s my Croagunk?”

“Oh, he didn’t want to come downstairs,” Maya said with a shrug.

Upstairs, the Croagunk laid on the bed Gary once laid on and inflated its cheek sacs. He looked out the window. He missed his master—well, his designated master even though Gary hadn’t claimed him yet. But for now, he knew there was someone out there that his master loved, and he needed a friend right now dearly. So, soon, he would go to him.


End file.
